Climate Change

"Barack Obama stepped into the chaotic final hours of the Copenhagen summit today saying he was convinced the world could act 'boldly and decisively' on climate change. But his speech offered no indication America was ready to embrace bold measures, after world leaders had been working desperately against the clock to try to paper over an agreement to prevent two years of wasted effort -- and a 10-day meeting -- from ending in total collapse."

"In a speech to more than 100 heads of state, the president outlines the elements of accord: commitments to limit emissions, a way of monitoring those pledges and aid to help poor nations adapt."

"COPENHAGEN -- President Obama told leaders of 193 nations here Friday that their collective will to address climate change "hangs in the balance" and urged both developed and developing countries to accept a climate change agreement he acknowledged was far from perfect."

"President Barack Obama met other world leaders in a last push for a new global climate deal on Friday, after negotiators failed to reach a deal on carbon cuts in all-night talks."

"In a little more than a year, a regional push to cap greenhouse gases has raised millions for Maryland energy programs, with supporters calling it a model for easing climate change on a national or even global scale."

"COPENHAGEN -- Mayors of some of the world's largest cities flexed their muscle at the United Nations climate talks Wednesday, warning that 'billions of people' are prepared to cut emissions far beyond whatever agreement world leaders may ink this week."

"The White House is promoting a $5 billion increase in tax breaks for clean energy manufacturing in hopes of contributing to job growth and expanded use of renewable energy."

"Negotiators at the United Nations climate summit scrambled Wednesday to bridge multibillion-dollar disagreements as President Barack Obama and other world leaders prepared to descend on the Danish capital Friday." ... "US Secretary of State of State Hillary Clinton Thursday proposed that major economies including the US come up with $100 billion a year over the next decade for developing nations, in an eleventh-hour effort to break an impasse." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Copenhagen with new offers of conditional aid, but it was unclear whether this would be enough to break the logjam.

"COPENHAGEN — Police officers fired tear gas and wielded batons on Wednesday to beat back hundreds of demonstrators outside the global climate meeting here, as a police spokesman said 250 people had been arrested."
 

"For more than 300 years, residents of Colombia's Pacific Coast area of Tumaco have mostly been left alone to fish or grow bananas .... But in recent years, the peace has been disturbed by new security threats, aggravated by climate change."